Ecliptic Fire
by SilentShade
Summary: When the vampires' abilities begin to malfunction and hybrids no longer have control over themselves, it is a dead giveaway that something has gone terribly wrong. But that's only the beginning of this heartbreaking story, the essence of which exists purely through eternal loyalty, impossible decisions, cruel deception, and unrequited love.


_Prologue_

_**New Orleans **_

"You shouldn't be here," Davina warned. "Marcel Gerard has this thing about strangers,"

"Marcel Gerard? Ah yes, former ruler and current co-ruler of New Orleans. I'm not afraid of vampires, little girl. Its witches that have the real power; witches like you and me," the woman responded with a cool smile.

Davina narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean 'witches like you and me'? Who says I'm anything like you? I don't even know who you are,"

"How rude of me, my name is Cylla Brande. I don't suppose you've heard of me?"

"Actually, I haven't. But I'm guessing you already know exactly who I am, or else you wouldn't be here, would you?" she said.

"Of course I know who you are; one could argue that it is my responsibility to know such things,"

"Your responsibility?" Davina was determined to not let her distrust of the stranger cloud her awareness.

"Well, maybe that isn't exactly correct. I think 'duty' is a better suited word. You see, I like to make a point of knowing what's going on in the world, especially when it comes to supernatural matters, and it has recently come to my attention that you, young one, possess a lot of power," Cylla arched an eyebrow.

The young witch tensed. "Don't even think about trying to hurt me. You have no idea what I'm capable of,"

"You misunderstand me. I am not here to harm you, far from it. I am here because I came across some information that has left me quite troubled for the past few weeks,"

"Information? What kind of information?" Davina wondered.

"The kind one hopes to never encounter. I think you should sit down, Davina. What I'm about to tell you is very, _very_ serious and should be treated as such. Under no circumstances should you ever repeat a single syllable of what is about to exchanged. I need your word," she said, her expression unreadable.

Davina hesitated. She had no idea if this woman was trustworthy; she had no idea if this woman was even telling the truth. Curiosity got the better of her however, and she nodded. "I give you my word,"

"Good, now down to business. I cannot tell you how I acquired this information, for it is not my secret to tell, but I can tell you what it is that I've learned. Pardon the cliché phrasing, but the world as we know it is about to come to come to end. It won't happen immediately, it will be a gradual process, but I can assure you it _will _happen," Cylla said gravely.

Davina was speechless. Well, almost. "What? Is that your way of telling me that the overdue apocalypse is finally here?"

"I wouldn't call it an apocalypse per se, but if that's the way you like to think about it, then yes," she shrugged.

"I'm sorry, but you're insane. There's no way I'm buying into the fact that the world is about to end, especially not when you seem to be the only one who knows about it,"

"I never said that I was the only person with this knowledge, quite the contrary, I'm sure there are many others walking around with this information. But you see, Davina, I happen to be the only one who cares enough about the human race to do something about it," Cylla crossed her arms over her chest and studied the young witch in front of her.

This time Davina really was silent. Her mind was telling her that this was too crazy to even consider, but some other part of her wasn't so sure. Then something occurred to her. "How? You said that it would be a gradual process...I want you to tell me exactly what is going to happen,"

"This isn't a science, Davina. There is no way for anyone to be sure of the details; that is up to Mother Nature. I mean, I can make predictions just like everyone else, but I can't be sure. No one can,"

"Let's say that I did believe you, which I'm not so sure I do, what does any of this have to do with me?"

"Remember when I said I made it my duty to know about the happenings of the earth? Well, I left out an explanation as to _why _I do this. You see, along with a small group of allies, I make it my life's mission to keep and restore balance in the world. Think of it as a scale, and sometimes too much weight gets put on one side; that's where I come in. Along with my friends, I do whatever it takes to prevent that scale from tipping, and in rare cases, reverse the weight. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do this time, not by myself anyway. That is why I need you; your power, dare I say, is greater than even mine and could be the answer to all my prayers. I need you, Davina, to help me save the world," Cylla raised her chin ever so slightly and leaned back against the wall.

"But what can I do?"

"Oh child, you are capable of so much more than you realize. You just need the right person to show you how to utilize your full potential...the possibilities are endless,"

Davina avoided Cylla's gaze, not wanting the elder woman to pick up on her uncertainty. It soon became apparent that her attempts were futile.

"You don't have to decide right now. I'll give you a month to think it over; by then you shall know that I speak the truth," Cylla said.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life,"

**...**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay, so there are a few things you have to know, so PLEASE READ THIS. Firstly, this story starts between TVD episodes 10 and 11, and TO episodes 9 and 10. Secondly, up until I find a way to bring all the characters together, I will be switching between Mystic Falls, New Orleans, and Whitmore University. **

**I have not yet committed to any specific main characters, so if there is anyone you would like to see more of, I'd welcome any and all suggestions.**

**I have been planning this story for quite a while, and I really hope you guys like it : )**


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